Daventry in Heaven
by Balin Lord of Moria
Summary: Someone once claimed to have seen C.S. Lewis and his realm, Narnia, in the Kingdom of Heaven, complete with Christian and pagan elements alike, so I thought, hey, why not Daventry, too? This is the author's opinion on Heaven, by the way, based on things he's read, so NO FLAMES, PLEASE!


**A/N: **This is an author's opinion fanfic so no flames, please!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the _King's Quest_ series; Ken and Roberta Williams do.

* * *

**Daventry in Heaven**

Once, in modern times, there were six teenagers in America, six friends, three men and three women. Their names were David, Andrea, Elliott, April, Bob, and Leah. They grew up in the 80's and early 90's, and they were very much individuals, but there was one thing they all had in common, which was that they all had played and enjoyed the _King's Quest_ computer games, as well as the series' companion book, the _King's Quest Companion_. They loved the games dearly, but as they were religious, too, they thought that they would miss the World of Daventry that was created for those games.

On this particular day, they had been out for a walk in the forest together, a very pleasant forest with trees that seemed almost to be alive like people in some of their opinions. It was then, while they were alone and away from other people, that they encountered a vision. They saw a place in the forest that opened up to a field of white, in the middle of which was a throne. A throne upon which sat the King of Kings himself, Jesus of Nazareth. They were all astonished to see this, not to mention a little afraid, for they knew that He was aware of everybody's sins, including their own. They fell to their knees and bowed before Him, imploring Him to forgive them for their latest sins, but he merely stood up and beckoned for them to do the same. When they stood, they saw that he was smiling lovingly on them.

"Do not be afraid, my children," he said gently but authoritatively, "It is indeed I, the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. You are among the minority of men and women to whom I grant a preview of the Kingdom of Heaven to, in order to testify to others of its existence. It is true what many people have said, 'Heaven is what we make it out to be.' To those who are given entry, it is whatever they loved in my Father's name when they were alive on Earth, be it the forest, a house, traveling on the road, or even a fictional realm that has been so elaborately drawn by its sub-creators, as long as it is something that the Lord calls 'good.' To those who choose to resist Heaven, this Kingdom is just as much 'Hell' to them as the real Hell is. Perhaps you have read somewhere how some people have discovered the existence of C.S. Lewis' Narnia here in Heaven, as it was depicted in _The Chronicles of Narnia_."

"Yes, yes we did," most of them replied.

"Actually, I didn't know about that until now," said Elliott.

"Well, 'tis the truth," said Jesus, smiling. "But I have called you all here because of your group love for the _King's Quest_ computer games by Ken and Roberta Williams. Now, this is not yet the time for you to know whether or not computers and computer games will literally exist in Heaven, but I would like to show you all that anything you particularly love that is not connected to sin, even including some fictional things, can exist in Heaven for you to enjoy as long as you believe in our Father in Heaven, and believe in what you love _because_ you believe in and love the Father. Come now, follow me."

* * *

And with that, Jesus took the six of them to a whole menagerie of locations they all recognized. First, they came to a realm that was well populated with tall trees, picturesque lakes, and fantastic creatures. There were many humans like themselves; a woodcutter's family lived in a house just like the cottage from _King's Quest: Quest for the Crown_, only it was whole and undamaged, with more rooms, lined with emeralds like the Shield of Achille, and room for children to play as well as for men to work. They noticed, too, that there were little elves walking about on the grass, dwarfs carrying around hard earned treasure, presumably for the land's economy, wolves that were actually eating grass instead of meat, and a church with a cross on its steeple, evidently a Christian church. There was even a man entering the church who looked remarkably like Connor, the Champion Eternal, from _King's Quest: Mask of Eternity, _and in the distance, they could see a castle that looked a lot like Castle Daventry.

Even more astonishing, though, was that none of the deadly or evil elements they remembered were in this familiar place. There were no evil sorcerers anywhere, and though there were ogres, they seemed almost domesticated, if that's the right word, for, like the wolves, they ran around looking for natural food instead of human flesh. And the witch Dahlia's gingerbread house stood in the area, too, but children were playing around and in it, with supervision from adults and angels, and there was no wicked witch anywhere to be seen.

All these things especially interested David, who, apparently, had enjoyed playing Quest for the Crown and Mask of Eternity the most of the games, and he asked Jesus about this place.

"Yes, this is the Kingdom of Daventry," said Jesus. "It is true, what men like Lewis, Einstein, and J.R.R. Tolkien have said in the past: _The imagination could be more real and more important than the material world; _after all, Heaven itself is, from the point of view of many men and women, an imaginary world, since most know little to nothing of what it looks like. So this is where Daventry literally is, outside of the game disks. Ken and Roberta Williams are not aware of it, but I showed them all this in their own imaginations, save the things about foreign gods, of course, for God is a jealous God, and always shall be.

"I tell all this especially to you, David, for you have dreamed of Daventry as a fantasy home for a long time. If you can hold true to faith in my sacrifice on the cross and continue to repent of your sins to the end, you may be able to live or visit this place, and if you do, you can bring friends and family with you if they wish to."

"Thank you, my Lord," said David, bowing at the neck and kissing Jesus' hand, "This means so much to me, but King's Quest is still a game series with more pagan elements than Christian ones; how can you and our Father not have a problem with that?"

"True," said Jesus, "The Father does not approve of pagan practices or rituals. But Lewis and Tolkien also used pagan elements in their Narnia and Middle-earth books, and although many of these creatures are pagan, for that very reason they have power to cut the cords of religiosity. It is like that in Narnia and Middle-earth, and it is like that in Daventry, also. That is what 'tis all about, imagination, play, revelry, all the spontaneous adventuring of childhood. And 'twas I who said that those who wish to enter the Kingdom of Heaven _must_ humble themselves like little children."

"That's a relief," said David, "I was afraid something was wrong with all these elves, dwarfs, vegetarian wolves and ogres, and other mythical things here." The others voice their agreement.

"You are all right," Jesus reassured him. "Now, find something to do here, David; I shall give you a little while to experience what the real Daventry is like, while I show some other places of interest to your five friends."

David nodded, and ran off to talk with the elves and dwarfs, and perhaps to check out the gingerbread house, too. He had always had a sweet tooth. Jesus led the others through white fog and light to show them that there was more in Daventry than just the Kingdom of Daventry.

* * *

The first place was southeast of Daventry. It was a whole new continent, with a high mountainous range to the east, very high, grass and trees and clear lakes dotting the land, and a western seacoast with balmy breezes, with waves lapping the beaches like warm, green tongues. Also to be seen were a familiar looking monastery, two private residences to the west, an old but beautiful antique shop, and a medium-sized town with many homes, a royal castle to govern it, and a great library, among other things like a fountain in its center.

Andrea was the one of the friends who recognized this place. "I know this place! This is the Kingdom of Kolyma, the home of Queen Valanice! It's from _King's Quest II_!"

"Indeed, it is," said Jesus, "It is mostly based on the canon version of _King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne_, but to give more homes and businesses for more people to use, the Kolyma town and library from _Romancing the Stones_ are also here. As I hope you have noticed, no evil things are here, either; there are no such things as undead ghosts, ghouls, or vampires here, and that means no Count Dracula to drink another's blood, and the poisoned lake is not poisoned here, but pure, like the other lakes. The monastery stands, though, as a symbol of complete devotion to serving the Lord your God, as well as a place of worship on the Sabbath, and there _is_ a monk there named Fragola."

"Amazing," said Andrea, "This must be the most beautiful place in this part of Heaven! Just look at that sun, and those beaches! Ooh, I love to swim! But wait! I thought the book of Revelation said that the new heaven and earth will not require sunlight, or moonlight or lamplight. How come there _is_ a sun here?"

"Revelation says that we do not _need_ the sun or moon, yes, and Revelation must _never_ be changed by anyone," declared Jesus, "But that does not necessarily mean that there will be no sun of some sort, beyond a shadow of a doubt. Here, the sun is not meant to light the daytime sky, but to make the new earth more beautiful. Kolyma is made lovely by this lesser sun, and it is intended for the mermaids of the ocean to enjoy, as well as anybody else. And I know what you're going to ask, that Revelation also says there will be no more sea. I know that many devout believers in my Father and myself and the Holy Spirit love or adore the ocean water, the waves, the warm sun, and the music of the waves and the seagulls. The sea, as you know it on earth, with its many dangerous natural disasters, giant predators, and strong-pressured depths, will be no more, but there will be a more safe and more beautiful new version of the ocean that shall sport no deadly dangers for anyone. It is a long story as to what makes that true, however, and we haven't the time to go into that right now."

"I think I, at least, partly understand you, Jesus," Andrea said uncertainly.

"Do not worry about it right now, my child," said Jesus warmly, "All shall be revealed in time to those whose names are in the Book of Life. But for now, I would like you to get acquainted with what could be your paradise if you continue to be faithful to me. And note this, too; like in the games, this part of the ocean is ruled by the one known as Neptune, but he is _not_ a god here, _no one_ is to worship him, not even his own subjects. He is merely a king of the sea, whom I have appointed because he is an element of the World of Daventry."

"Thank you, Jesus," Andrea said, kissing her hand, and ran off to enjoy herself, while our Lord continued his journey with the others. Andrea spotted a mermaid sunning herself on Mermaid Rocks, a location in Kolyma. She threw off all her clothes and sunbathed nude with the mermaid, till the playful woman/fish jumped into the water and started swimming away. "Oh, no you don't!" Andrea shouted playfully, and dived in, swimming after her. She soon discovered that she could breathe underwater here. Andrea marveled at that joyfully.

* * *

The next stop was a group of small islands off to the northeast. Leah was the one who recognized it first.

"The Land of the Green Isles!" she breathed.

"Yes," said Jesus, "It's the realm from _King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow_. One island is not there, of course, the Isle of the Dead, for God is not the God of the dead but of the living. But one can find much to do here. It is ruled by an appointed king and queen, none other than Alexander and Cassima, on the Isle of the Crown, where their royal castle stands. And off to the side, there is the Village of the Crown, with its bookshop, Ali's Books, the Pawn Shoppe, where nothing is wasted, and the street-side Lampseller. Note also the Isle of the Sacred Mountain, the Isle of the Forest, formerly called the Isle of the Beast, and the Isle of Wonder, where nothing is as it appears and all stand in awe of its wonders. Even the Isle of the Mists can be found here, though in Heaven, priests and ministers conduct services there instead of the druids' rituals."

"I can see all the things that make the Isle of Wonder special," said Leah excitedly as they hovered over the isles. "There's the swamp, which looks a lot less treacherous than in the game! There's the Pun Garden, too, with its plants, fruits, and vegetables named after famous puns, like the named of the garden says! And look at that, Chessboard Land! I hope that people are allowed to play chess with the chess pieces here; they couldn't do so in the game, people weren't even allowed near it."

"They are allowed to do so here, child," Jesus assured her.

"Good," said Leah, "And it even has the Bookland, complete with the Exclamation Point and all! Can I live here when I die, Jesus? Can I?"

"Perhaps," Jesus said seriously, "Just live for the Father and for Me in life, and always allow the Holy Spirit to guide you through the hard times, and you might get a reward like this. Perhaps even some of your family will, too."

"I'm going to live on the Isle of the Crown!" said Leah, "I'm sure I can find a good house there. And I'll visit the Isle of Wonder more than any other place except the New Holy City of Jerusalem!"

"Then enjoy some time on those islands," offered Jesus, "I have three more of your friends to show their possible heavens, right now."

"Of course, Christ Jesus," said Leah, as Jesus lowered her to the ground on the Isle of the Crown and made sure there was a ship ready to show her to the Isle of Wonder. She proceeded to investigate Ali's Books first.

* * *

"I believe you will love this place, Robert," said Jesus to Bob, as they set foot in the other major country on the same continent as Daventry, the Sovereignty of Serenia.

"You're right Jesus," Bob exclaimed, "This is the home I've been longing for. I never knew it before, but here it is! There's the gypsy camp over there! And look that way! I can see the Bee Tree, and the Ant Hill over that way! There lives the old gnome's home, too." It was obvious that he was finding things to look at everywhere, and Jesus smiled. "This place has all the businesses in the game _King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder_, but they feel and seem even more real! Look, it's the toyshop, the Fey tailor shop, the Corner Cobbler Shoe Shoppe, the Swarthy Hog Inn, and the Baker Bros. Bake House! Man, this place has got everything city folk would want, at least, those who don't mind doing without many modern conveniences."

"Of course," Jesus agreed, "But have you noticed how all the businesses and houses and mansions are so much more spectacularly made, with silver and gold, and decorated with amethyst and sapphire and more jewels?"

"Yes, I do," said Bob. "Well, I may miss the more rustic side of Serenia a little bit, but it's beautiful this way, too. Oh, by the way, is Crispin the wizard's house here? I'd like to see it if it does."

"The house exists, yes," said Jesus, "and Crispin lives there, too, though he is forbidden to use his abilities against God in any way whatsoever, and Crispin has graciously agreed to this. His talking owl, Cedric, can be seen in Serenia, also, if you are interested."

"Yes, I am," said Bob, "Hey, can I go and meet Crispin and Cedric, and then take a look around this town?"

"Absolutely," said Jesus, "There is not much farther to go on this journey now. Follow me, Elliott and April!"

And Bob went to see Crispin and Cedric, and to learn what they had to say about this block of Heaven.

* * *

"Now we come to the continent of Tanalore," announced Jesus, "This is the eastern one of its major countries, Llewdor, the former domain of the evil wizard Manannan and his bandits."

"This is amazing, too," remarked Elliott, who seemed to take the greatest shining to Llewdor. "Except for the lack of a desert full of medusas and a dangerous mountain path, it looks just like Llewdor in _King's Quest III: To Heir is Human_."

"Indeed," said Jesus, smiling again, "Heaven is no place to be turned to stone, but Llewdor is still a place of great beauty without the desert. Derek Karlavaegen lives in Manannan's old house still, and it is much more hospitable than in the time of Manannan and his poor slaves. The same can be said for the house of the Three Bears, where the bears no longer mind visitors and guests. And Port Bruce is a peaceful seaside town, whose inhabitants work a good economy for other parts of the World of Daventry."

"It's not as spectacular as most of the other countries in Daventry," commented Elliott, "but that's what I liked about it. It's a peaceful, quiet place where I could get all the rest I need. I won't be surprised if there's a mansion waiting for me in Port Bruce!"

"You will have to wait and find that out later," said Jesus, "But you do have the potential to earn this as a haven to live in or visit. Stay true to the Father and to Me till the end, and you shall receive a Crown of Life."

"Thanks, Jesus," Elliott said excitedly, "Can I visit Port Bruce now? Then maybe the mountain and the bears' house?"

"Of course," Jesus reassured him. "I have the final journey to make, for April here, and then you will all be satisfied for the time being."

So Elliott investigated the seaside city, checking out a general store first, though he had no money to buy things, and anyway, Jesus said he could not bring any physical or literal souvenirs home from Heaven. He also checked the tavern, and was surprised to learn that some alcoholic beverages were allowed, even encouraged, in Heaven. He tried a free sample of wine, and found it sweeter than the best grape juice.

* * *

"This is your dreamland, April," Jesus declared as they touched down in what could only be Tamir, the western country of Tanalore.

"It looks… so real," April said, almost breathlessly. "There's the ocean. I can see a castle that looks like the home for Genesta and her fairies, and there are several golden shacks (golden shacks?) by the sea with piers for fishing on. I also see the house of the Seven Dwarfs, and their mine where they dig for diamonds. They surely work just as hard here as in _King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella_, but they're not at all grumpy!"

"Of course not," Jesus said, "Negative feelings and emotions do not take space here, for in Heaven, the old order of things has passed away."

"Look to the northeast, too! There's no skull cave full of three hags with one eye, but there's a forest there, and the ogre's house. Are the ogres in Tamir as safe as the ones in Daventry, Jesus?"

"Yes, they are," said Jesus, "The ogre and his ogress wife are quite civilized in the real Tamir. They are a little brusque with some, but they do not eat people here."

"That's good to know," April said with relief. "I don't see Lolotte's castle, but I can understand why from what you said earlier about nothing evil or sinful in Heaven. But I can see the marble pool surrounded by tall columns from Greece or Rome! And there's Whateley Manor. It looks like people actually live here, now!"

"Once again, I state that there are no undead souls in the Kingdom of Heaven," admonished Jesus, "only the living."

"Yes, I'm sorry, Lord Jesus," said April humbly.

"It is already forgiven, child," Jesus said kindly.

April grinned. "So, I suppose it's my turn to partake of the joys of my possible future paradise, then?"

"If you wish, April," Jesus granted her.

And for a little while, she partook of the ocean, visiting one of the fisherman's houses, before moving on to the pool, the manor, the ogre's house, and even Genesta's island.

* * *

Finally, later on, as all six of them finished their rounds in the countries of Daventry they loved, Jesus stood before them and commanded them to spread the word of the reality of the Kingdom of Heaven, and of how all who go there can make their section of it into anything they want, based partly on their deeds, but mostly on their creative imaginations. Then, Jesus and Heaven and Daventry slowly disappeared, and the six friends found themselves in the forest again. They talked excitedly about their respective exploits.

"I helped the woodcutter improve a new room in his house, and ate a little bit of the gingerbread house! Oh, and I befriended an elf and a dwarf!" said David.

"I swam with a mermaid, prayed at the chapel, and visited the town library!" said Andrea, "And the local dwarf showed me his home, and Grandma too, and Ye Olde Antique Shoppe."

"I read some poetry in Ali's books and played giant chess on the Chessboard Land!" said Leah.

"I learned some astronomy from Crispin, befriended Cedric the owl, and saw magnificent toys in the town!" said Bob.

"I thoroughly explored Port Bruce and met the Three Bears!" said Elliott.

"I swam in the Roman pool, fished, ate with a giant ogre couple, and got a tour of Whateley Manor!" said April.

And as they continued to tell each other about their exploits in Heaven, they began to walk back to civilization and their homes.

**THE END...**

**AND THE BEGINNING!**


End file.
